Leaf on lightweight 15.6lb 17x9 Enkei RPF1's with camber kit AMAZING GRIP!!!

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pointlomadave

Well-known member
Joined
May 6, 2013
Messages
85
So yeah, I put in some camber bolts a while back, dialed the toe back to 0, and swapped on some 17x9 +35 RPF1's and OMG, the car grips AMAZING!!!

Here's a pic. I'm running the most sticky tires you can get other than a race slick. Bridgestone RE71R in 245/45/17. WHeels are Enkei RPF1 in 5x114.3 with +35 offset. Front fenders also have a little pull on them (done by hand) to get thing's looking right aesthetically so there is no "poke" with the rubber up front. So far, it is looking as if the rear will not need a roll. Enjoy! BTW, Wheel/Tire combo weighs 40 lbs 6 oz. Pretty much same as stock Nissan Leaf S wheels/tires. But OMG, the grip! THis is seriously ridiculous. Read TireRack's test review of this tire & its competitors. It is ridiculous.

Strangely enough, the car is still reasonably composed with the increased grip. I had thought that the massive grip would have cause some major body roll, some wallowy suspension activity, but to my surprise, it is VERY well mannered.

I started with some decently light 17x7's with some Ultra High Performance 205/50/17's
Next I went with some 17x9's (21.5lbs wheels) with 235/45/17's
Then I added the camber bolts ($27 through Tire rack and 2 turns on each side on the toe adjust to get back to zero toe).
Then just yesterday, mounted up these PRF1's with the new tires and yet another amazing revelation.

I would like to go wider, but I think it looks perfect right now, and it is alreay gripping HARD! These wheels JUST clear the front caliper by about 2-3mm. If I go any wider on the rubber, the tires will poke out a bit too much more for my liking. Any questions, feel free to ask. =)

IMG_20150903_182818_zpszpm4vgjz.jpg
 
Nice. amazing how well the thing handles for what it is. I finally threw my 18" Rays 350Z track wheels on a few weeks ago and it really puts my Blitz suspension to work. Those OEM Michelin Energy's are a joke.

What's your range impact look like? What camber are you running?
 
Wow very nice! I was thinking of going with those wheels or thefvery similar kosei. I wish I had but I fell in love with some kei office (volk) wheels that I refinished. I didn't end up keeping the chrome lip which is what I loved. I really should post some pics....
 
Even though the wheels/tires are the same weight as a unit, the tires are 4lbs heavier with the rims 4lbs lighter. Because the tires are further from the axis of rotation, it does have the effect of increased rotational weight. THerefore, range is affected, also, the offset with the tires sticking out more and less aerodynamic rim design has a negative effect also. Lastly, the increased tire footprint and stickier compound add increased rolling resistance. I'm sure range is decreased to some extent, but will have to wait until my wife drives it to/from work a few times to see what the actual hit is.

THis setup isn't for everyone. This wheel is pretty much the lightest thing you can buy in either a 17x8 or 17x9. The RPF1's spoke profile in a 17x9 looks awesome (and way different than even their 17x8 or 17x8.5) . The 17x9 JUST clears the front brake caliper, otherwise I would have been happy to run the +45 offset and get the wheels slightly more tucked under the car by 10mm. The camber kit is the Eibach Camber kit sold on http://www.TireRack.com and it is capable of + or - 1.75 degrees. I've got them set to max neg, and most cars come with less than 1 degree of neg camber, prob -0.5 on the Leaf, SO I'm guessing it is now at -2 or -2.25 up front. In order to achieve this without paying for an alignment, I can tell you, all you need to do after installing and the camber bolts in the upper strut mount hole and setting it to max neg camber, is to turn the toe adjusters 2 full turns (shortening the toe rod) on each side to get back to zero toe. Use a marker, dab of paint, nail polish on the rod to mark your starting point (SInce the toe adjusters are behind the front wheel, it goes "toe in" when you instal the camber kit).

I noticed a nice difference with the camber kit added to the set of 235/45/17's that I had on before btw. But these tires just take it to another level. The tires are not for everyone. They are extreme, they make a ittle noise, but if you're a serious grip hound, you can live with them. They're marketed as a 200 treadwear tire, but I will be surprised if I get 10k miles from them. Next time around, I may just go with the Continental DW as it is the lightest tire you can get in most sizes close to what I'm running now. I may dial it back a notch the next time cause these tires are seriously a bit too much and they seriously do make some funny noises and the wear rate just makes them sort of irrational. But I wanted to see what this car was capabe of with maximum grip and like I said ablove, I'm surprised at how well composed it has remained. Sure, it's got more body roll, but the amount of roll isn't that noticeable really from the driver's seat. I've given up on suspension changes to the car because many times, you give up something to get something, and often end up with aspects of your handling that are sacrificed. On a smooth track (glass surface) you can get gains, but in the real world, bumps and imperfections upset the car and the OEM susp has lots of compliance/travel, and maintains composure at the expense of ride height and some minor body roll. THe Nismo suspension would be tempting, but I've tried to look up the susp on Japanese sites and it is just too much of a Pita. Right now, that is the only susp I'd consider for the car.

BTW, the car at this point could really use a rear sway bar to help keep the front tires planted and gripping. With passengers in the back, cornering grip is noticably decreased and acceleration squat with the added weight in the rear makes the front tires spin when the whels are cranked tight in a low speed corner. My next task would be to test removing weight from the trunk area and taking out the read seats to simulate the effect of increased spring rate in the rear which will have the same effect. However, my wife will prob NOT allow me to keep them out! Lol. We do have a couple kids! But then again we do have a Prius as well as a Subaru...but yeah, Haha. I do also wish the car had some more power. If it was just me (no wife) I'd prob begin to do some weight reduction. Whci, I already have to some degree. Motorcycle battry is under the hood saving 16lbs, and in my other car I have a 2lb Li Ion unit which I keep meaning to order for the Leaf. Yes, I've looked into race seats just for kicks, but alas, my search so far hasn't turned up anyone that makes brackets (bases) for them. Although I only checked with Corbeau. I would also consider yanking the A/C, rear wiper, interior floormats, etc. The hood is actually pretty heavy and I looked for a Carbon Fiber unit, but no luck. I don't think I'd actually ever do this stuff, but I did get 420 lbs off my old turbo Mitsubishi and it was a revelation!

Anyway, I'm sure some of you stoppped reading a while ago. If anyone is in the San Diego area (near the airport) I'd be happy to let you take a look at the car and I can take you for a spin. It really is some night and day stuff.

Dave
 
Hey team! Quick update. I have rolled the rear fender and gotten a bit of a flare as well. I have pulled the front fenders a bit more over time too and my 245/45/17's are getting pretty low on tread after 15-20k miles. I'll be replacing them with 275/40/17's in the next few months. In the mean time, I just ordered up some 15x6.5" Konig Zero in wheels with 195/65/15 Hankook H724 tires. Going for ultralight setup on a budget ($316 total for the set after rebates thru discount tire direct dot com. Anyway, will save nearly 10lbs per corner helping with accel, regen effect while coasting, and of course, MORE RANGE! Will be impossible to get real comparative data, but I should be able to notice an improvement.

I also just purchased a 2017 Leaf recently to add to the stable of now 3 electric cars (also have a 2017 Fiat 500e). Will prob try the new light/skinny setup on the new Leaf as well.
 
Thanks for posting this! I am a long-time road-racer and just recently bought my first Leaf (2015 SV) as a daily driver. I immediately started looking at wheel sizes, offsets, and what-nots to figure out what would fit, and this thread helps tremendously. By racer standards, those four round bricks that come with the car are not 'tires'. Before anyone says anything, I don't mind giving up a bit of range for handling.

So with the combo in the picture, did you use a fender roller in the front or just tug on the fender a bit? I've got access to a fender roller and have done it before several times, heat gun and all.

Also interesting that you are more or less happy with the stock suspension using these tires. I was wondering about that as well. As they say, the three most important things to know in racing are tires, tires, and tires. Proper rubber can make a HUGE difference in handling as you know, more than anything else, assuming the car is already set up in a reasonable manner.
 
good to see a few racers here!

i was wondering why you went with the
pointlomadave said:
The 17x9 JUST clears the front brake caliper, otherwise I would have been happy to run the +45 offset

i was wondering why you went with 35 instead of 45 offset and thankfully you already answered that question :p

i do also wonder though why you went with a taller 245/45 rather than the 245/40 which seems to be perfectly sized? might also reduce the need for fender manipulation a little?

looking for a potential race-only setup. would love to do 16s, but lightweight 16x9s aren't very common :(

prefer smaller wheels myself. i have a set of 15" te37s, love them!
 
245/40/17's are just too short at 24.7" Fender gap already way too much. 245/45/17 gives a larger contact patch than a 245/40/17. Plus, the extra ground clearance is nice.

I unfortunately sold the 17x9 RPF1's. Range became more of a priority as the car ages and now has 55k miles. Also, my daughter taking over the car had me worried about damage to the RPF1 wheels. I threw 215/60/16's on the stock wheels which correct the OE speedo error so no it is pretty much spot on as the new tires are 5% larger than OEM 205/55/16's.

Sticll kicking around another set of 245/45/17's but looking at the Continental Extreme Contact Sport. I may do a 255/45/17 on a 17x9 but that is pushing the limits of what would clear as far as turning/rubbing. Looking at some Konig UltraForm 17x9 +34mm if I do that. Or, maybe the 17x8 +35 if I do another set of 245/45/17's. Basically, want a little more tire bulge to protect the rim with my 16yr old daughter driving.
 
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